AT&T Next scam: you're paying twice and ETO is a better option

0.phoneArena
16 Jul 2013, 16:49posted on

I was actually just about to start writing an article on this very topic, when I saw in my news feed that T-Mobile exec Andrew Sherrard had essentially done my job for me (although he was far more succinct than I was likely to be on the subject.) Sherrard called out AT&T on its new "Next" frequent upgrade program as essentially being a scam...

That is a great alternative. However, its only going to last as long as the carriers allow it. You only have two choices for unlocked devices, either AT&T and T-Mobile, everyone else (MVNO) is just a branch from one of the trees. Example, AT&T became tired of Walmart making money, so they pulled out of STraightTalk and created their own MVNO, AIO. So regardless how far you think you're going to get away, at the end they will get you. e.g. compare Red Pocket vs. Go phone, AT&T made sure Red couldn't provide LTE for the same price and amount of data.

I totally do the same. Get deals via Ebay/Amazon for unlocked phones and since I bought the device, I can sell them back on ebay and have kept rotating devices like that. Since Nov of last year I have changed 3 phones (different flavors of Winpho 7.5/7.8 and now 8) all for a total of $200 plus shipping! Excellent devices, near mint condition.:)

This is so true I literally having been doing this for years every year for like the past 3 years I would cancel m6 service and pay around $200 to cancel and then sell my old phone on ebay for around the same price $200 and then just start service up with any carrier and pay the new customer contract price its the best way to do it if u want a new phone every year lol

I've done the same since my Droid 1 on Pageplus cellular 3 years ago. But, surprise surprise after my Excel session the value for dollar worked out better last year on a Note 2 for 100 down on TMob's value plan and I couldn't be happier.

It doesn't but its still alot cheaper then at&ts new next plan im paying 95 a month now. If I cancel after a year pay 200 for that and sell my phone for 200 they cancel each other out and then my new phone would cost 200 plus a 36 dollar activation fee. So I pay 236 every year for a new phone with this new stupid plan it would be a extra 32 a month times that by 12 months thst 384 dollars vs 236 and u have to turn the phone back in to upgrade after a year so im saving around 150 bucks this way. Screw at&ts neew plan tmobiles still is the same way but ay least they lowered their plan prices

I'd like the author to address the issue of anyone buying there phone outright on AT+T not getting any break from their bill as it stands now,so technically they've been double charged this whole time,do you hear anyone complaining about that?

11.papss (unregistered)

Yeah I wouldn't jump on this deal, I'll just keep my normal plan. I rarely ever go into edge, always in LTE or "4g".. Tmob just doesn't have the coverage that I need. Heck I got an astounding 33.54 Mbps down and 12.53 up in my area on AT&T.. Tmob who? Yeah no thanks, Ill pay more for those speeds. If tmob had better service I would jump but not how it is currently.

Hmm. On my T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 I just ran Speedtest and it did 52ms, 36746 Kbps down, 21683 Kbps up. So I would say your speed is average. I've seen those speeds on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobiles LTE networks. Right now it's only Sprint that I've seen have abysmal LTE speeds. The best I've seen my Sprint HTC One ever pull was 54 ms, 21298 Kbps up, 11466 Kbps down. But Sprints LTE on a normal day it's usually around 5000 Kbps down 3000 Kbps up, if you can find their LTE network.

47.papss (unregistered)

Not in my city/ state... On tmob I'd be lucky to even get service due to their lack of coverage.. AT&T rapes tmob in overall coverage.. Again if they put some money into coverage they might get a new customer but no phone in the world would get me with the service they provide in my area

But, but, the carriers maintain that our monthly service costs don't include the cost to subsidize a phone, and that they eat the cost of the phone, even if you pay the full retail cost! No joke, that was the BS a Verizon rep tried to spoon feed me. But this article makes me think Verizon might, just maybe, be lying to their customers! What next?!? Are they gonna tell me the government lies to us too? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

That rep should be fired, Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't d¡¢k screw customers with regard to subsidy vs full retail vs 2-year contract.

If you sign a new 2-year contract with Verizon or "Upgrade" and extend your contract, you get a SUBSIDIZED device; if you choose to pay "Full Retail" or "Upgrade" at Full Retail (as in my case because I'll do everything in sovereign power to keep my Unlimited Data) your contract term is not affected and, once out of contract, you can continue month-to-month and, more importantly, you still have a subsidy available to you if you soever choose to use it!!

Sure, for all those subscribers coming late to Big Red's party it can be expensive but, for me, it's dirt cheap; cheaper than T-Mobile-less Prepaid and definitely cheaper than AT&Tragic's nonexistent service.

"once out of contract, you can continue month-to-month and, more importantly, you still have a subsidy available to you if you soever choose to use it!"

But you're still paying the monthly subsidy whether you upgrade or not! This is why I try to convince people to upgrade as soon as they can get the subsidized price (used to be 20 months, but will be 24 starting this year.) Ok great, you're out of contract, but you don't save anything by holding out. And let's be honest, how many Verizon customers are looking to switch carriers? The contract to me is nothing but a waiting period before I can upgrade. And as I see it, if you don't upgrade, you're overpaying.

Excellent point, and one I make in my area a ton. I may be repeating myself here, but in my area we have AT&T and Verizon and really that is it. Once you hit the end of the 2 year contract, you do not get a discount. It is free money for them. Unless you are waiting on a specific device release or moving carriers, just upgrade and make them give you a new toy.

I'm in the same boat as you carrier wise. The only reason we're looking at paying retail on phones isn't because of the unlimited data, although it is a plus. The reason is we got on a promotion a few years ago that basically gives us a $20 discount per line if we keep data on all the lines. If we were to go to Verizon's Share Everything plan, not only would we lose unlimited data, but our bill would increase at least $100 a month. Once Verizon finds a way to kick us out of that promo, THAT'S when we start shopping around.

I'd love to have T-Mobile here, but all we have of them is roaming (I'm guessing through AT&T). Basically Verizon and AT&T are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They'd love for everyone to pay full price for their phones while keeping the monthly rates the same as if we were subsidized. It'd be as if we bought 2 phones but only took ownership of one every two years, that's an extra $20-30 a month extra for them.

Regardless how T-Mobile and ATT word it out......IT WILL COME OUT THE SAME AT THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T-Mobile charges $20 per month on top of your monthly service fee with upfront cost of the phone. And ATT does the same per month but higher with less upfront. From my understanding T-Mobile still charges $20/month still after.

So I'm with Sprint, I pay $200 for my phone plus a 2 year contract with my monthly service......TMobile requires the a upfront fee of the phone plus your monthly service plus $20 per month for 2 years. Which equals to $480.00 puls your service fee you paid for the 24 months and the upfront fee. SO I THINK I STICK WITH THE OLD SCHOOL PLANS. Its worth the cost to upgrade every year.

What people don't get is that it is these company move the numbers around to different area of the bills and make it look better. BUT IT'S NOT!!!!!

T mobile doesn't charge a $20/month subsidy for an unsubsidized phone. If you buy the phone outright or bring an unlocked phone, you don't pay the $20 a month. If the phone is subsidized, the $20 a month is for $24 months.

Get my facts straight? The last time I checked and research about this, -Mobile charge an additional $20 a month on top of your monthly service fee. If you choose to leave T-Mobile before the 2 years, you can. BUT you still owe the $20/month for the phone.

And yes you maybe are right about them not charging subsidized. Because they label it else where in your bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use to have TMobile, and they are famous for not telling you all what you need to know up front. But it is in your fine print of your contract, THAT NO READS BECAUSE IT IS TOO SMALL AND LONG!!!!!!!!!

So head stand up for the European provider, it still the same crap no matter how you think different!!!

No. That's wrong. I'm on an EIP plan with 4 devices, 1 feature phone and 3 smartphones. Once the EIPs are done, my bill goes from $220 down to $150. Sprint just can not compete with that. You should really check it out if it works in your area, because I haven't regretted the move one bit.

Oh really?, humm going to look into that, I like saving money.
I think I have the best plan with sprint tho
Mobile to mobile
Unlimited text,data 3 &4g
1500 minutes
Nights And weekend @6pm
$69+the other junk fees carrier add on

Bitches please., here in the Philippines, I pay 1800php a month or let's say about 35 dollars a month and i get to enjoy unlimited calls and text, unlimited internet(only a few areas have 4g though) and 30 minutes of international calls...LoL

Wow!,
Where are all those defenders of the big 2?, this is exactly what the consumer needs more real information about the carriers, they are always trying to fleece us. With gimmicks like more coverage, faster connection,.... Etc

Your right about the internet speeds on AT&T..but there call quality and customer service it's horrible..I left them a few months ago ago and at least T-Mobile has better call quality..and just as fast lte speeds

Your right about the internet speeds on AT&T..but there call quality and customer service it's horrible..I left them a few months ago ago and at least T-Mobile has better call quality..and just as fast lte speeds

Guys You phonearena trying to view this next program as something it is not. If you dont want to overpay, finance your phone by getting a 0% intrest credit card, buy it outright and pay that off. this program is meant to essentially be a rent-to-own program for people who want to frequently upgrade to the latest devices or get into a tablet without paying 600 up front of course its going to cost you more. Its like renting a movie from redbox, you pay $1 a day for a movie until you return it and if you never return it you have overpaid on the price you could have bought it for in the first place, but then they let you keep it. subsidies still remain, AT&T is just trying to give you options!

When did At&t get a 4GB plan with Unl Talk / Txt for $115? It's $110 and its part of a MS Plan which is a new family plan. Why go for that on a single line when you all know not everyone needs the unlimited talk part of the plan. The 450 min to landline with unl M2AM , Unl txt and 3GB data fits a lot of people needs for $89.99...

"The louder they are, the weaker they are." this quote def. applies to T-mo.

Do the math.
16 GB : iPhone 5s = how much? 649.99 + tax
Next : no upgrade fee 27/ month for 20 months. In the 12th month that means you've spent $324 with the option to get a new phone. Only good credit can have this.
Or 2 year. 199.99 + 36 upgrade for two years. 2nd year early upgrade add $250 plus another 36 and another 199.99, but likely more people moving to 32gb or 64gb. 32= $32 per month or 64 at $37 per month. Option to get a new phone. Att discounts the phone right off. You get a monthly agreement and your phone can be paid off and unlocked at any point you pay it off. Keep it sell it get another one whenever you want. The manufacturers now know the 2 year cycle is dead. Devices are going to be more exciting and aggressive. I'll be a part of a 12 month considering manufacturers have a 12 month warranty not a 2 year. Easy choice. Pay more to get more. Keep trying to blog your way to try to get prices to go down. Not gonna happen. Invest your money how you like.

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